This invention relates to demountable plug and socket electrical connectors for use where electrical connections are to be made through a bulkhead on one side of which is a low pressure inert gas atmosphere and on the other side of which there is a high pressure environment.
In the prior art, various arrangements for sealing plug/socket combinations in extreme environments, such as encountered in submarine cabling, have been suggested and employed. For example, where submarine repeaters are used there is need to connect input and output cables (coaxial type in modern submarine cabling systems) to the housing. Although neither attachment nor detachment are undertaken under water, the need exists for periodic repair or maintenance of repeater or similar apparatus necessitating disconnection and reconnection.
It is known to fill the enclosures of submarine repeaters, etc., with an inert gas for reasons well understood in the art. There is need for a simpler and relatively low cost insertion-operated device for automatically including the actual pin/socket interface within the inert gas atmosphere extant within the repeater housing. The manner in which the present invention provides a unique apparatus for that will be evident as this description proceeds.